Q: Upon delivery of her finished goods, a customer noticed a shifting and distortion of the yarns appearing as thin areas in the underarm of her blouse. What could have caused this?

A: This condition is known as yarn slippage, which is not a breakage of the yarns but an actual shifting or slipping of the yarns. The damage originates from local stress and strain on the fabric during wear. Yarns that have been disturbed from conditions of wear alone can be further aggravated from the normal agitation of a cleaning process. Woven fabrics should be adequately supported by the manufacturer to withstand the normal stress and strain of wear without allowing any yarn slippage or distortion. If the item has reached its life expectancy, then this type of damage can be reasonably expected.